The invention relates to a method and to a machine for preparing containers for being filled and for filling containers, especially polyester containers, with a material forming a beverage.
In order to ensure their keeping qualities, numerous beverages have to be filled under special conditions, which are described by the concepts of "clean", "ultraclean" or "aseptic" and contain certain germ count limits (10.sup.-4, 10.sup.-6). To ensure the respective conditions, it is customary, for example, to fill the material at an elevated temperature, such as 92.degree. C. The sterilization of bottles and the filling of sterilized bottles in a sterile environment is also known (DE 37 01 915 A1), the bottles initially being heated to a relatively high temperature by infrared radiators and subsequently cooled before the filling process. Such methods can be used for glass bottles and thick-walled plastic bottles, but not for thin-walled polyester bottles, which offer only a slight dimensional stability and may not be heated to a temperature above 45.degree. C., if they are not to experience loss of dimensional stability.